Medical examiner: Dover man committed suicide early Tuesday

By JOHN QUINNUnion Leader CorrespondentOctober 02. 2013 7:50PMCONCORD — Following an autopsy Wednesday, the state’s Chief Medical Examiner Thomas Andrew determined a Dover man who held police off with a gun for hours died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

The man was identified as Frank Thompson, 50, who lived in Apartment 6 at 1 Northway Circle in the Fairfield Gardens complex in Dover, according to a joint release by N.H. Attorney General Joseph Foster, N.H. State Police Col. Robert Quinn and Dover Police Chief Anthony Colarusso.

According to the release, “Dr. Andrew concluded that Mr. Thompson died of a gunshot wound to the left chest, and that the manner of his death was suicide. Mr. Thompson had also sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen, which did not penetrate any vital organs.”

The standoff that led to Thompson’s death began when Dover police were called after a 32-year-old woman — who also lived in Fairfield Gardens — reported a man armed with a handgun had assaulted her with a hammer around 7:30 p.m. Monday, according to the release.

The woman was taken to the hospital, and officers began evacuating other residents on her floor in the apartment building. They then attempted to contact Thompson. By this time, a state trooper had also responded to the scene, according to the release.

After police asked Thompson to come out of his apartment unarmed, he responded by “opening his apartment door and firing his handgun at the officers,” who returned fire. Thompson then returned back into his apartment, according to the release.

“Several hours later, the suspect’s body was found inside his apartment, and it was confirmed that he was Frank Thompson, who resided alone in apartment #6,” according to the release.

No police or other residents were injured during the standoff.

Authorities continue to investigate the initial assault on the woman, the circumstance of the gunfire and the suicide.

Rundles said residents were able to return after investigators completed their work in the apartment building, which had been sealed off since the incident began Monday.

“There is no time line for the investigation — it will be completed as soon as possible,” Rundles said in an e-mail.

Upon completion, a report will be issued by the Attorney General’s Office, according to the release.